A good pizza cutter makes a real difference — a blunt or flimsy one drags toppings, compresses the crust, and makes a mess of a pizza you’ve spent an hour making. This guide covers the best types and the specific models worth buying.
Pizza Wheel vs Rocker Blade: Which Is Better?
The two main types are the pizza wheel (a rolling blade on a handle) and the rocker blade (a curved single blade you rock back and forth across the pizza). Both cut well when sharp; they suit different styles of pizza and different preferences.
Pizza wheel: Fast, easy, works well on thin crust Neapolitan and New York style pizza. The rolling action means you’re applying downward pressure as you move forward, which can drag soft toppings slightly if the blade is dull. Most people start with a wheel and never switch.
Rocker blade: Preferred by many pizzerias. The rocking action cuts cleanly without dragging — you position the blade centrally and rock from one end to the other in a single motion. Works particularly well on deep-dish and Detroit style where the pizza is thicker. Larger footprint means you need a bit of storage space.
What to Look For
- Blade sharpness: The most important factor. A sharp wheel cuts cleanly with minimal pressure; a dull one tears. Stainless steel wheels hold an edge well and are dishwasher-safe.
- Wheel size: Larger wheels (4 inch / 10cm+) cut through thicker crusts more easily than small wheels. Small decorative cutters look nice but frustrate in use.
- Handle comfort: You apply quite a lot of force with a pizza cutter. A handle that’s comfortable to grip and doesn’t slip when wet matters more than you’d expect.
- Ease of cleaning: Wheels with removable blades are much easier to clean thoroughly. Fixed wheels accumulate dough and cheese in the axle area.
Best Pizza Cutters
Best Overall: Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel
Ooni’s own pizza cutter is well-made, with a large 4-inch stainless steel blade and a solid handle. It’s dishwasher-safe, the blade stays sharp, and the handle is comfortable for heavy use. At around £18 it’s reasonably priced for the quality.
Best Rocker: Gozney Pizza Rocker
Gozney’s rocker blade is the best mainstream rocker available in the UK at an accessible price (~£25). The curved blade is long enough to cut a 16-inch pizza in a single rock and the handle is comfortable. The blade holds its edge well and the whole thing is dishwasher-safe.
Best Budget: Kitchy Pizza Cutter Wheel
The Kitchy cutter is a well-regarded budget option (~£10–12) with a protective cover that doubles as a guide. The blade is sharp out of the box and the removable head makes cleaning easy. A good choice for an everyday cutter.
Best Premium: Dexter-Russell Pizza Knife
Dexter-Russell make commercial kitchen tools, and their pizza knife (a long straight blade used like a chef’s knife) is what serious home cooks use. It takes a bit more technique but cuts without any drag whatsoever. Worth considering if you cook pizza regularly and want a blade that lasts decades.
Care and Maintenance
Rinse your pizza cutter immediately after use — dried cheese in the axle is surprisingly difficult to remove. Most stainless steel wheels are dishwasher-safe, though hand washing and drying promptly keeps the edge sharper for longer. If your wheel starts dragging rather than cutting cleanly, a few passes on a honing steel or a ceramic sharpener will restore the edge.
See also: best pizza peels | best pizza oven accessories | how to use a pizza peel
Wheel vs Rocker: Which is Better?
The choice between a wheel cutter and a rocker blade comes down mostly to personal preference and how you like to cut. Wheel cutters are more familiar, compact, and easier to control for diagonal or asymmetric cuts. Rocker blades cut a full pizza in 2–3 passes and are popular in professional kitchens for speed — but they require a long enough board or surface to fit the full span, and they’re bulkier to store. For home use, a high-quality wheel cutter handles everything a home pizza cook needs. Rocker blades are worth considering if you’re cooking large volumes or want the professional cutting experience.
Blade Thickness and Edge Quality
A thicker blade doesn’t necessarily cut better — in fact, thin, sharp blades cut through crust and toppings more cleanly than thick blunt ones that push and drag toppings off centre. Look for stainless steel blades that can be resharpened, with a tight fit between the wheel and guard (loose wheels wobble and produce ragged cuts). Cheap pizza cutters work initially but dull quickly and can’t be resharpened — the wheel is usually pressed steel rather than properly hardened stainless. Spending £15–30 on a quality cutter with a replaceable or resharpenable blade is more economical over time.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The wheel housing on most pizza cutters collects cheese, sauce, and dough — especially in the gap between the wheel and the guard. Cutters that disassemble completely for washing (wheel, axle, and guard come apart) are much easier to clean properly. Dishwasher-safe models are convenient but check that the handle material is rated for dishwasher use — some wooden or composite handles degrade over time in the dishwasher. See also our roundup of best pizza oven accessories for other tools worth having alongside a quality pizza cutter.
